Israel's COVID-19 vaccine boosters show signs of taming Delta

13 Sept 05:37 Key points summarised by AI

Israel's early COVID-19 vaccine booster campaign is showing promising signs of curbing high infection and severe illness rates driven by the Delta variant.
The country, first to administer a third Pfizer/BioNtech dose, observed a steady decline in the reproduction rate among vaccinated individuals over 60, dipping below 1.
Experts attribute the positive trend to booster shots, increased first-dose uptake, and natural immunity from prior infections, aiming to avoid another lockdown.
Despite international debate on booster necessity, Israel expanded eligibility, recognizing waning immunity and seeking to manage the pandemic without further economic disruption.

Suspected drug couriers killed in Phetchaburi; half a tonne of Ice seized

Yesterday 16:06 Key points summarised by AI

Two suspected drug couriers were killed in a shootout with narcotics officers in Phetchaburi province.
Authorities seized approximately half a tonne of crystal methamphetamine, also known as Ice, during the operation.
The incident occurred on Tuesday night after officers tracked a network suspected of transporting large quantities of drugs to southern Thailand.
The suspects, identified as Chattharin and Rungarun, both 27, opened fire when confronted by officers, who returned fire, resulting in their deaths.